Chicago, Meet Your Home Manager, Matt Bocker

Looking to live in Chicago? Meet your Home Manager, Matt Bocker. Matt’s lived in Chicago his whole life and loves the Windy City more than he loves Disney movies (which is saying something).

Scroll down to get inside the mind of the man himself through a conversation he had with our intern, Jon.

Matt with members of Common Damen on a recent trip to Monroe Harbor.

Chicago chit chat

Q: So when did you start feeling like a Chicagoan? When was the point you started calling Chicago your home?

A: I only feel like a Chicagoan when I am not in Chicago. Then I realized that this city has always been my home.

Q: How many team members are there in Chicago at the moment?

A: Right now, we have a team of four! I love the people I work with at headquarters as well as the other people we have here in Chicago. And, most importantly, I love the communities that we build within our homes.

Getting personal

Q: What is your social security number?

A: Matt replies with 9 digits.

Q: Oh my god, that has to—that was real! That has to be real. That sounded real.

A: That was real.

Q: Oh my god, don’t give me your real social security number.

Sometimes you don’t know what Matt will say. Pictured here: Matt is speaking on the radio about what Common all about.

Work life

Q: What’s your favorite part of your job?

A: I think the community itself and working within the community, but I also have a healthy obsession with properties and interior. I love seeing new homes, the exteriors of homes, the neighborhoods they’re in, how they get built out on the inside, and how our design team does to furnish them. My favorite part is the community we bring into the homes and watching those develop over time.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge of your job?

A: Working with Jon.

Q: So your job must be pretty smooth sailing?

A: No, it’s really, really hard.

Speaking of sailing… here’s more of the Common Damen crew enjoying the open sea.

Q: So what’s the actual biggest challenge?

A: Time management. How to spend my time. How to find time for myself in addition.
I come across gigantic challenges. I climb mountains every day. Still my Everest is you, Jon.

Common Damen’s suites each feature a fully furnished cozy living room and a kitchen stocked with essentials.

Shared living

Q: Have you lived with roommates before? What are the top things you learned?

A: I have indeed, I currently live with a roommate. The top things I have learned:

1. Focus not on what your roommates are doing for you, but what you are doing for them. Everybody giving creates the best environment.

2. Make sure to find time to hang out with your roomies, it’s easy to become ships passing in the night.

One more thing

Q: Can you give us a fun fact about yourself?

A: Yes.

Q: Okay, great. What is that fun fact about yourself?

A: I’m probably the most avid golfer you’ve ever met.

Q: Okay, that’s very emphatic.

A: I was an all-American gymnast all through high school.

Q: Wow.

A: Yeah. I can do backflips on command.

Q: And let’s end with that. Common’s Chicago members are in for a treat with you.